To Dream as an Immortal

My eyes search the distant horizon to the south, then the horizon to the north. The rest of my herd is asleep and it is my duty to keep watch. Everything here is serene. A cool gentle breeze carries only the scent of grass and meadow dew. The plains stretch out in all directions, with nothing to obstruct my view. My sister, Celestia, and the rest of my herd would, normally, never be safer. However, something is very wrong. My sister and I could feel it. Most ponies of the earth, like us, have an innate sense of the world around them. We can sense when a predator is approaching, which direction the earth is most verdant, or if there is a brushfire to be fearful of. We all feel as if there is a large brushfire barreling down just behind us.

At first, we did think it was a brushfire, and we ran from it. We ran all day and all night, but eventually the older members of the herd could not continue. It was Celestia's decision that we would rest and slow our pace to accommodate them, a choice I was glad I was not responsible to make. We kept that up for days and the danger did not lessen. We traveled a great distance over span of two moons, and the ever-present sense of danger only slightly diminished. Whatever it actually is that causes that fear, it's a force so vast and great that we can't comprehend it, a force that could be compared to the size of the earth. Hopefully, it won't be able to spread all the way to the frigid upper reaches of the north. Hopefully, we will outpace it to there.

This resting place, for all the danger that lurks beneath the surface, is still beautiful... peaceful. The grasses ripple in the wind, illuminated by a waning gibbous of the moon. The stars, softer in their light, stretch across the sky; Their existance a mystery, as are their effects on earth. The night offers a peacefulness the day cannot. It's brightness does not burn, but is restrained, only there if you look for it. The sky holds back, giving you room to think and time be introspective. However, the earth doesn't consider what the sky intends, so I stand watch for my sleeping herd.

It has been a long time since I have eaten or slept, but the gentle light and magic of the moon gives me strength. My sister and I need neither food nor sleep; We can be sustained by the celestial magic that also grants us our longevity. Celestia is replenished by the light and magic of the sun, and I, the light and magic of the moon. Normally, I wouldn't tax myself by going without rest or food, but the great danger is approaching and we need to travel as swiftly as possible.

The first tendrils of twilight crest around the horizon, and my sister awakes with a start. She glances my way approvingly, then stares off into the distant north. It's time for us to start moving again.

Fall passed into winter as we ran. The mild fall warmth turned to a bitter winter chill, worsened as we traveled into the colder north. Our winter coats have grown in, protecting us from the drop in temperature. Snow covers the landscape, making it more difficult to forage. It requires us to dig, slowing us. We have traveled as fast as we can, and our bodies are ragged.

It is Celestia's hope that whatever it is that's chasing us will not be able to survive the icy north as well as a pony can. It would not be the first time the two of us have resorted to such a trick. A long, long, time ago we traveled south to use the heat to protect us from dire wolves. Eventually, those monsters simply went extinct.

The vast nebulous danger to the south is strong, but even it, now, weakens in these harsher reaches. The concept of an end to our journey and a return to normalcy is a gift to our weary bodies and spirits.

There is, however, something odd about the path ahead. The clouds in the sky open up, allowing the sun's rays to shine down into a plain unmolested by snow. The rays themselves bend, as if focused by the sky above. The unnatural charge of magic in the air makes my hair stand on end. I neigh to get Celestia's attention and look in the direction of the hole in the clouds. She follows my gaze, shakes her mane in agitation, then heads back to the herd to lead them in a new direction.

The field is, unmistakeably, the domain of a unicorn. Unicorns are terrible creatures, with a spike protruding from their head for impaling their enemies. They have no concept of nature or how the world is supposed to work. They are solitary, afraid of each other's power, and driven only by greed and selfishness. They believe the laws of nature are to be bent to their will, without concern to other creatures. They wouldn't hesitate to harm us if we were to intrude upon their territory. We would have to go around.

It was night by the time we reached a place safe enough to rest. We had made it almost halfway past the unicorn's field. The youngest mare was tempted by the lushness of the grass in the unicorn's territory. She was tired of digging for dead mucky grass, like all of us, but Celestia inspires great loyalty and it never became a problem.

My task, again, is to protect my herd against the dangers of the night. The others are huddled together for warmth, but the harsh coldness seems oddly comfortable to me. I stand, alert and aware, despite the cold blusterous wind. The moon has not yet risen and the stars are blocked by a thick layer of clouds. However, over the unicorn's territory, the sky opens up, illuminating the secluded paradise with starlight.

Searching the creature's land for any sign of threat to us, I make out the outline of camouflaged unicorn spying on us. It would have escaped the notice of any other pony, but I could see very well, especially at night. He notices that I'm looking at him and a burst of wind swirls snow infront of me, blocking him from my vision for an instant.

When it passes, the proud unicorn stallion is plain in my view. His eyes are soft and kind, probably from living life without effort or hardship. He reaches down and chews some of his lush grass, as if to rub in my herd's predicament. He stands back up, letting me admire him, then he stands on his hind legs and neighs, focusing starlight to shine on his healthy powerful body. All my ponies are gaunt from our harrowing journey. Jealousy burns inside me. He abruptly startles, then lands back down and gallops off, running deep into his forbidden territory.

Why was it again that I consider his territory forbidden? He didn't seem wary of us. He was almost playful. If he could join us, we could probably survive much more easily in the north. In fact, he probably isn't even aware of the profound danger to the south, lacking earth pony senses. He's also probably very lonely, this far north of where unicorn's normally inhabit.

A tiny glowing pegasus, barely a few inches tall, abruptly reveals himself to me only a foot from my face. I have no idea how a creature like that was able to evade my sight. He winks at me and flies off, opposite the direction of the unicorn. I quickly wake a mare I know can do my task, and gallop off, following the pegasus, curious what such a creature wants to show me.

He stops, waiting for me, and I catch up to him. He winks at me, again, then vanishes. The same feeling I've felt coming from the south surges, coming from all around me. I don't wait around, and run off to warn my herd. Something bad is here.

The ground bulges in a line in front of me, and I trip over it. Grass and roots tangled together rip up from the snow covered bulge. They've been knitted together and form a giant tentacle. More tentacles of grass rip out of the ground all around me as I get up to run to my herd. A giant beast made of grass, with a maw of jagged stones, roars as it rises rises from the ground behind me. Terror fueling me, I run to Celestia.

It follows me.

The mare performed her task well and the rest of the herd was already running away. The hooftraks led into the unicorn's domain, directly away from the creature's bellowing. The unicorn's domain, itself, is lacking its previous enchantments, with snow and clouds reclaiming it. Celestia must of been terrified of the monster's bellows to lead the ponies through there.

My hungerless, tireless body easily catches up with my weary herd. I reach the front, behind Celestia, and keep pace with the stampede, moving as one. Despite my herd running as fast as they can, the monster catches up, smashing the ground behind us with its tentacles. It hits the weakest mare in the rear of the herd, causing her to stumble. I watch in horror as the monster lifts her to its mouth with its tentacles, and chomps down on her with its stone teeth. The grass demon rips her in two and chews, crushing her, with blood flowing down its face and intestines hanging from its teeth. Even while eating, the demon's stride did not slow, it was still right behind us.

It keeps killing the ponies at the tail of the herd. I dare not think of their loss of their life, only run. With only the fastest of our herd left alive, we move faster. Eventually, we do outpace it, leaving it far behind us, yet still pursuing us. I look around and there are only three of us left, me, Celestia, and a fit young mare who was well and truely exhausted.

It was probably the unicorn that cast that pegasus as an illusion, leading me to get the herd killed. What had just happened set in. I looked to Celestia, unsure what to do. I had known those ponies for most of their lives. Celestia looked hollow, devoid of life inside. It probably hurt her the most, knowing she was responsible for all the major decisions that lead to this point. I couldn't fault any of them though.

The demon climbs over the horizon and I know we can't take time to rest. I can feel the danger and evil that comes from the south and it is almost on top of us. We have been too slow. Celestia looks at me with tears streaming from her eyes, and begins to gallop to the north. The young mortal mare gets up to follow, but she cannot bring herself up to Celestia's pace. I look behind, trying to convey that I was sorry with my expression, but don't leave Celestia's side. The mare collapses, her spirit broken and with the monster catching up to her. I turn away and head towards the frozen north.

We outdistance the demon and the danger from the south. The world we run to is devoid of life or change, absolute in it's emptiness. Ice extends to every horizon in this barren wasteland. The evil danger that covers the rest of the world cannot sustain itself here. It is on this threshold we run and wait, monitoring to feel that evil fade. We run as years turn to centuries, and centuries turn to eons.